Nature Moncton Nature News: August 27 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

November 26, 2024

Nature Moncton members as well as any naturalist in New Brunswick or beyond are invited to share their photos and descriptions of recent nature sightings to build a fresh (almost) daily edition of Nature News

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Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**The last of the summer series of Nature Moncton Wednesday walks is described at the end of this edition and upfront tomorrow and Wednesday.

** Richard Blacquiere saw his first young-of-the-year Turkey Vulture of the season Sunday evening (25 Aug) at the Hampton sewage lagoon. These gray-headed hatch-year (HY) birds usually appear in Hampton near the end of August, so this one was right on schedule.

There have been about 50 vultures around Hampton through the summer. That’s just an estimate, of course. They never all gather in one place at the same time to allow for an accurate count. If the past is any predictor, through September the numbers should increase as they gather here before starting their southward migration.

(Editor’s note: it would be very interesting to know where the nest was that this bird originated from and if there are other fledged birds.)

**Sybil Wentzell also photographed another young-of-the-year bird on Sunday when a freshly minted Spotted Sandpiper posed for a photograph near the Harvey Dam. It is always humbling each fall when this species appears not showing the namesake spots of his parents.

**John Inman got a nice photograph of the colourful Northern Paper Wasp as it posed on the glass of his home window.

This is the wasp that constructs the umbrella style nests often under the eaves of human habitations with approximately twenty cells. It is not an aggressive wasp and is normally quite happy to go about its mission if not directly disturbed, ignoring nearby humans.

**On Saturday, Norbert Dupuis had a nice visit to Parrsboro, NS and Cape d’Or. He was walking on the beach in Parrsboro and was watching dozens of gulls by the wharf and suddenly a beautiful Bald Eagle appeared. The gulls went frantic with the appearance of the Bald Eagle and most disappeared. Three Double-crested Cormorants were less concerned.

At Cape d’Or, it was a beautiful day but very windy. Norbert comments “Not my first visit to both places but truly enjoyed the beautiful landscapes and seascapes.”

(Editor’s note: it is notable how close this site is to New Brunswick by water -- just a few wing flaps from Riverside Albert but a few hours drive by road.)

**Brian Stone has not been as prolific with his photography recently due to a few busy summer weeks but he sends a few ordinary photos of some of the nature he came across that he had time to photograph. At Highland Park in Salisbury, he found one of the many Wood Ducks present that was close enough for a picture and some Lesser Yellowlegs out in the middle of the pond that were foraging and resting He also photographed a damaged/worn Viceroy butterfly, an Eastern Phoebe, and a Cape May warbler. A photo of the Sun shows a string of large sunspots that are the result of increased solar activity during its 11-year active cycle.

** Wednesday Evening Walk. August 28, 2024

As August comes to an end, COME JOIN US for Nature Moncton’s final Wednesday Evening Walk at Fred and Sue Richards’ property. The address is 31 Rockland No. 1 Road, Taylor Village (instructions to follow) to start a walk at 6:00 pm rain or shine. There will be some social time and then a walk down to the Memramcook River, that will be displaying a rising tide. The walk will be on mowed trails and the walking fairly easy. We recommend long pants and mosquito repellent. We hope to see you there! All welcome. If you need directions or have questions, call Sue at 506-988-2247.